Hand forged barrel

[John Strong]

I am considering getting a hand forged barrel for my next project. Does anyone have a suggestions on where to get one? I am not sure what they cost either.

 

[C_Laubach]

It depends on if you want a totally hand made barrel, hand forged, hand bored and hand rifled.
If so than it is around 7000.00

Here are some pic's of are demonstration at Dixon's gun fair.[url] http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v186/c_laubach/Barrel Forging/[/url]

Chris Laubach

 

[John Strong]

Thanks for the information. That's way to expensive for me. I was thinking around $1000. So much for that idea!
Thanks Again

 

[J.D.]

Check with Steve "Bookie" Bookout at the Toad Hall Rifeshop; [url] http://www.midiowa.com/toadhallrifleshop/[/url]

Or Brad Emig at Cabin Creek, or maybe Eric Kettenburg, they should be able to help you.

An alternative is to get a barrel forged and drilled, then send it to someone who can ream and rifle it on modern equipment.

Either way, its not gonna be cheap.

 

[richardn]

Check with Hud Huddleston of Rocky Mountain Trap and Gun works - he advertises in Muzzleblasts and Muzzleloader magazines - by phone or mail only. He makes various Rocky Mountain and Tennessee Mountain longrifles with hand forged barrels - all under $2000.

Richard

 

[talon]

I would recomend Toad Hall. There was another guy that hand forges barrels. I talked to him at the 2004 CLA convention, but I forgot his name.

 

[flintriflesmith]

Check with Hud Huddleston of Rocky Mountain Trap and Gun works - he advertises in Muzzleblasts and Muzzleloader magazines - by phone or mail only. He makes various Rocky Mountain and Tennessee Mountain longrifles with hand forged barrels - all under $2000.
Richard

I guess everyone has their own definition of "hand forged." This man's Muzzle Blast ad for January 2006 also says the stocks are hand forged. :hmm: :grin: :grin:

 

[richardn]

I have dealt with Steve Bookout before when he built a rifle for me (it's the one shown on his Home page of his website).

I know he hand rifles barrels but not aware he forges barrels as well.

Anyway, he's a good guy and a good gunsmith as well.

 

[John Strong]

Thank You all for the information.I think that I am going to go with a wrought iron barrel. It really does not need to be hand forged. I do have a little info on iron barrels, but I will be looking for more information on some of the barrel makers. Thanks again for the valuable information.

 

[Zonie]

"...I am going to go with a wrought iron barrel...."
______________________________

Although I am sure you already know this, there may be some here who don't.

Real Wrought Iron is virtually impossible to get today.
The only source I have heard of is in England and I don't recall their name.

Wrought Iron is a fibrous form of iron which should not be confused with Cast Iron.

The fibrous "strands" of Wrought Iron are relatively strong and ductile which is why they were used for making gunbarrels when steel was almost priceless.

Cast Iron on the other hand has no fiber like structure but instead is composed of many large grains of iron loosely bonded together. It is not especially strong and is often very brittle.
There is a form of Cast Iron known as Ductile Iron which is not very brittle, but it is still composed of large grains so it's strength is dependent on the fairly loose bond between the grains.

Cast Iron or Ductile Iron is NOT suitable in any form for any type of gun barrel as it may rupture when subjected to moderately high pressures far less than those encountered with Black Powder.

Zonie

 

[John Strong]

Thank you. I did not know that wrought iron was that hard to get. I will have to go back and get some more information on the barrel that I was just looking at. I can't remember the maker's name off hand. I will definately do some more research before I buy.

 

[flashpanner]

My understanding is that the magic number is 2% carbon content(hypereutectic) the iron can not absorb anymore free carbon and therefore becomes known as cast iron. Mallebility then diminishes, even when heated. Am I wrong?

 

[Bookie]

Gentlemen, all the fellows I know who weld up barrels, myself included, use sections of wrought iron wheel rims from the old wooden spoked wheels to weld up barrels. The wider rear rims will make up almost any large bore barrel easily if the iron is of good quality. There are plenty of the rims around, normally free for the asking. Cheers, Bookie

 

[Zonie]

My understanding is that the magic number is 2% carbon content(hypereutectic) the iron can not absorb anymore free carbon and therefore becomes known as cast iron. Mallebility then diminishes, even when heated. Am I wrong?

According to my information, Wrought Iron contains almost no Carbon (about 0.04 percent) making it almost pure iron. To reach the low Carbon level, the pig iron (the source for cast iron) is melted in a Puddling furnace in direct contact with the flames which burn the carbon out of the material. It is stirred during this process so that all parts are exposed to the flame. This stirring is called puddling.
The other common elements in the Pig iron are also burned out.

Interestingly, the melting point of Wrought Iron is about 2700 degrees F while the higher carbon Cast Iron melts at 2100 degrees F.
The higher melting point of the Wrought Iron may be a contributing factor to its weldability by the forging process.

The processing of the resulting solidified wrought iron thru forging gives it its name.

Cast iron, which is melted pig iron may contain above 6 percent carbon although Gray Cast Iron per ASTM A-48 is limited to 3.75 percent. It also contains Silicone, Nickel, Chromium, Sulfur, Manganese and Phosphorous.
The Ductile Cast irons may contain up to 3.8 percent carbon but the Manganese, Nickle and Phosphorous are held to much lower percentages.

Now that I've put them all to sleep, what say we go get a tall cool one? :grin:

 

[IronCrickett]

You may want to check with Brad Emig ( Cabin Creek ) as he'd been selling some wrought iron skelps and roundstock at Dixon's the last two years.
Later
I.C.

 

[hound dog]

One last possibility that you can pursue is to look for someone with old gun parts. Search the gunshows and flea markets and ask around. I found an old hand forged swamped barrel years ago doing this and used it in a new rifle. I had a friend fresh up the rifling and rethreaded for the breechplug. Doesn't shoot any better than a new steel one though.

 

[Bookie]

Interesting info on the iron, Zonie. Your house for Guinnesses?? :winking: Bookie

 

[Henry]

If you go by the sea side , on old piers
or maybe along the Erie canal , once in a while
you may look at old iron chains, ladders ,
boat rig etc. Sometime rust
made visible the grain structure of genuine
wrough iron . I find it prettier than many
so called modern art sculptures .

 

[navaho]

Brookie, what airport so I fly in to come visit?

 

[Bookie]

Navaho, Des Moines is the closest big airport. Newton is fine if you're a private pilot. Cheers, Bookie